Engine starter drive



Aug. 27, 1935; 1 I

E. E. BALDWIN I ENGINE STARTER DRIVE Filed Nov. 9, 1935 INVENTOR Bzzldwin/ A TTOR'A'IE Y Patented Aug. .27, 1935 ENGINE s'r m'ran mm Everett. E. Baldwin, Elmira, N. Y., assignor to Eclipse Machine Company, Elmira Heights, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application November 9, 1933, Serial No. 697,273

This invention relates to an engine starter drive of the type which automatically connects and-disconnects a starting motor with a member ofan engineto be started, and more particularly to means for preventing rebounding of the starter gear when it is thrown out of mesh as the engine starts.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a rebound check which is emcient and reliable in operation and simple and inexpensive in construction. I v

It is another'object to provide such a device which causes no severe-stresses on the parts of thedrive irrespective of the.force .with which the starter gear-is ejected. v

hItis a ;-further object to provide such a device which does not interfere with the engagement of the starter gear in the normal functioning of the device.

Further objects and. advantages will be apparent to those skilled in this art from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly 'in section of a preferred embodiment of the invention with the parts in normal or idle position; and

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the positions assumed during the overrunning of the drive when the pinion' is thrown out of mesh as the engine starts.

. Referring first to Fig. 1 of the drawing there is illustrated a power shaft I which may be the ex-' the pinion 2.

A' yielding driving'member in the form of a coiled spring 5 is anchored at one end to the pinion 2 as indicated at 6, and is arranged to loosely surround a transmission member in the form 'of '1 sleeve I loosely mounted on the power shaft I.

The transmission sleeve 1 has a radially extend-' ing'pin 8 adapted to traverse the 'convolutions of the coil 5 upon relative rotation between the pinion and transmission member, the spring 5 being provided at its free end with a hook 9 arranged to engage the pin 8 when the pinion is in driving position whereby cranking torque is transmitted 5 Claims. (01. 14-7) from the transmission member I through the spring 5 to the pinion.

Pinion 2 is provided with a rearwardly extending finger II adapted to engage the 'pin 8 when the pinion is inidle position. 5

According to the present invention, an overrunning clutch connection is provided between the transmission sleeve 1 and the power shaft I whereby cranking torque may be transmitted through the transmission member to the pinion but the transmission member and pinion may overrun when the pinion is thrown out of mesh by the starting of the engine. As here shown, the transmission member I is for this purpose provided with ratchet teeth I2, and a sleeve I 3- 15 having complementary ratchet teeth It is rigidly fixed to the power shaft I as indicated at I5.

A space I6 is provided between the transmission sleeve 1 and the bearing sleeve 4, whereby the transmission sleeve may move longitudinally to the left in Fig. 1 to permit the ratchet teeth I2,

It to overrun. A light spring I! is seated in suitable recesses formed in the adjacent ends of said sleeves and serves to yieldingly maintain the ratchet teeth I2 and I4 in engagement as shown in Fig. 1. v

If desired, means may be provided for preventing the pinion 2 from drifting away from its idle position. As here shown, such means is in the form of a split ring I8 seated in a groove I9 in bearing sleeve 4, and arranged to be compressed into said groove by the pinion 2 in its movement away from idle position.

In the operation of the device, and starting with the parts in the positions shown in Fig. 1, rotation of the power shaft I in the direction of the arrow a causes the transmission sleeve I to be rotated positively by the clutch I2,'I4. Due to the inertia of the parts, the pinion 2- and spring 5 .do not rotate and are consequently moved to 40 the left by the camming action of the'pin 8 on the spring 5 until the pinion is meshed with the flywheel gear 3. The pin 8 then engages the hook 9 on the end of the spring whereupon the pinion is'coupled to the transmission sleeve by the spring, and further rotation of said sleeve is yieldingly transmitted to the pinion to crank the engine.

When the engine starts, the rapid acceleration of the flywheel gear 3 causes the pinion 2 and spring 5 to overrun the transmission member 1 whereby the pin 8 is caused to withdraw the pinion and spring to idle position until the finger II of the pinion strikes the pin 8. The sleeve 1 is thereby coupled directly to the pinionand over- 5:.-

runs the power shaft by virtue of the ratchet connection therewith until the rotary momentum of the pinion and spring has been dissipated. It will be understood that if the transmission sleeve I were fixed rigidly'to shaft I, the impact of the finger ll of the pinion on the pin 8 would cause the pinionto bound back and strike the flywheel gear 3, thus causing unnecessary noise and wear of the parts. The overrunning connection l2, ll obviates this tendency by permitting the momentum of the parts to be dissipated as above set forth, at the same time largely reducing the stresses imposed on the parts.

When the overrunning of the pinion and associated parts has ceased, the spring l1 returns the driving sleeve I to its clutched position in readiness for a subsequent cranking operation.

Although but one form of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that other embodiments are possible and various changes may be made in the details and arrangements of the parts without departing from the spirit of 'the invention as defined in the claims appended hereto.

What is claimed is:

1. In a starter drive,-a power shaft, a pinio freely mounted thereon, a transmission member, a yielding driving connection between the transmission member and pinion and an overrunning clutch for driving the transmission member from the power shaft; but permitting the transmission member to overrun the power shaft.

2. In a starter drive, a power shaft, a pinion freely mounted thereon, a transmission member, cooperating means connecting the transmission member and pinion for automatically traversing the pinion into and out of mesh with a member of an engine to be started and for rotating the pinion to crank the engine, and means for preventing rebounding of the pinion into engagement with the engine member including an over-running clutch connecting the transmission member to the power shaft for positive transmission of cranking torque, said clutch permitting the pinion and transmission member to overrun said shaft when the engine starts.

3. In a starter drive, a power shaft, a pinion freely mounted thereon for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, a transmission member having a yielding pin and slot connection with the pinion for traversing and driving the same, and an overrunning connection for driving the power shaft from the transmission member, but permitting the pinion to overrun the power shaft to thereby prevent rebounding of the pinion against the engine member.

4. In a starter drive, a power shaft, a pinion freely mounted thereon for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with a member of an engine to be started, a spiral spring anchored at one end to said pinion. a driving sleeve having a pin arranged to coopera with said spring to traverse and drive the pinion, and an ovemmning clutch connecting the drive sleeve to the power shaft for transmitting cranking torque to the drive sleeve and permitting the drive sleeve and pinion assembly to overrun the power shaft when the engine starts.

5. In a starter drive, a power shaft, a pinion freely mounted thereon for longitudinal movement into and out of engagement with a member ofan engine to be started, aspiral spring anchored at one end to said pinion, a driving sleeve having a pin arranged to cooperate with said spring to traverse and drive the pinion, said drive sleeve being provided with ratchet teeth at one end thereof, a cooperating ratchet member fixed to the power shaft,.said sleeve being mounted for limiting longitudinal movement on the power shaft to permit disengagement of the ratchet teeth, and yielding means urging the sleeve into engagement with the ratchet member.

EVERETT I. BALDWIN. 

